UNEARNED INCREMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2550, 13 November 1888, Page 3

UNEARNED INCREMENT.

TO THE EDITOR. Sni —In your paper of November Ist, Elector has a letter. The Elector says what will save the country is nationalise the lun'i and let the State have tho unearned increment. He says the profound thinkers of the day are studying this question. I say the profound fools are doing so. There is no unearned increment, there never has been any ; true there has been thought to be so and in a few instances by a fluke there has been unearned increment acquired, but flukes don t count and go for nothing This cry of unearned increment has been the ruin of hundreds, the cry made thein believe theie was unearned increment, they acted upon this supposition and so were ruined. Tlia author of this cry has a lot to answer for, he has been the cause of anguish and heartrending suffering. A fo-.v years ago, one of tho same way of thinking as elector, said to inn as a leason for the land to belong to the State was that God made the land, but that other property such as his was made by his industry. I at once replied that God as much made his industry as he made the land. This staggered him, but it did not alter his opinion. Convince a man against his will, and ho is unconvinced still. This saying the land belongs to the people is a thing which c.innot bo.

Parnell is not giving the land to the people, he only w,.nts to give it to the present tenants ; the poor labourers, who have no land will still remain poor and will be much worse off than befare, because there will bo no big landlords. m p a big landlord to work for, so say I. JMector says the land should bear all the taxes, he prefers a land tax to a property tax. i hold that the property-tax is the fairest of all taxation. A property-tax includes all property in land, and all other property. ISow, this may suit storekeeper.- 1 , factors, lawyers, Parsons, and. Kditors, but it won t suit the strength and backbone, and the mainstay of the country, that is the farme.r.s Editor, when you put Electors le™ rs through the farmers, and blow out all the docks and sorrell, there remains a lot ot superior and first-class wheat. Lei him write more letters, and have as little docks and sorrel, and as much good wheat as possible.—Yours truly, v HAllAl'lPl.